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Central Standard

Seg. 1: Camp Magazine. Seg. 2: Running Superman Retires. Seg. 3: Teen Activism

Segment 1: Community newspaper check-in with Camp Magazine.

From a continent-wide softball competition, to a ‘rainbow wave’ in local government — there’s a lot of news in Kansas City’s LGBTQ community. We visit with the editor of Camp Magazine, to take a look at recent headlines. 

Segment 2, beginning at 13:20: A local icon hangs up his cape.

Chances are if you've traveled around Midtown or visited a local sporting event, you've seen a man with a cape running around, spreading messages of love. That's Kansas City's own Superman, Michael Wheeler, who will be retiring his cape this month. We hear Wheeler's story about becoming a local icon, as well as stories from Kansas Citians who were inspired by his outreach.

  • Michael Wheeler, Kansas City's Superman
  • Melissa Martin, compiling a photo book of pictures taken with Wheeler

Have you taken a photo with Kansas City's running Superman (Michael Wheeler) and would like to share it? If so, email your photos and/or stories to thankkcsuperman@gmail.com.

Segment 3, beginning at 38:27: Local teen responds to Parkland anniversary.

A year ago, a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The mass shooting galvanized teens to stage school walkouts and other forms of activism across the country. We catch up with a local teen who was motivated to take action then, and hear what he's been up to since.

  • Joey O'Kelly, high school student and aspiring activist
People don't make cameos in news stories; the human story is the story, with characters affected by news events, not defined by them. As a columnist and podcaster, I want to acknowledge what it feels like to live through this time in Kansas City, one vantage point at a time. Together, these weekly vignettes form a collage of daily life in Kansas City as it changes in some ways, and stubbornly resists change in others. You can follow me on Twitter @GinaKCUR or email me at gina@kcur.org.